Santa may have to take a break from his sleigh this Christmas to catch some high-stakes hardwood action.
The NBA just announced the New York Knicks are scheduled to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at NYC’s Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Dec. 25.
This Yuletide showdown will be an exciting one as both teams are favorites to compete in the wide-open Eastern Conference following impressive showings in 2024-25.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and New York shocked the world and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling prey to Tyrese Haliburton’s scrappy yet clutch Pacers in six cutthroat contests.
As for Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland’s Cavs, they rattled off a league-best 64-18 record before also coming up short against Haliburton and Indiana in the Semifinals.
However, with Haliburton likely out for all of 2025-26 and the dismantling of the potent Celtics and Bucks’ starting fives, these squads have a lot to play for, especially on a national stage like the Garden on Christmas.
“There’s a lot of work to do,” new Knicks head coach Mike Brown said in a press conference, earlier this summer. “But I’m looking forward to getting started…this is the Knicks and Madison Square Garden. It’s iconic. … I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it.”
Over the course of the 2024-25 season, the Knicks and Cavs met four times; Cleveland won all four games. In their most recent matchup, New York put up a valiant effort and lost 108-102; Brunson led the way scoring 27 while Josh Hart chipped in 11 rebounds and Mikal Bridges added eight assists.
Tickets for this “Ho-Ho-Hoops!” contest — that Timothée Chalamet will likely attend courtside — are available for purchase as of today.
Fans can purchase tickets for the Knicks vs. Cavaliers Christmas matchup on sites like Vivid Seats.
Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.
They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.
All sections at NYC’s Madison Square Garden for the Knicks-Cavs Dec. 25 battle can be found below.
| Madison Square Garden sections |
|---|
| 400-level |
| 300-level |
| 200-level |
| 100-level |
| Lower level |
Ahead of the season’s schedule release, a pair of Knicks preseason games have been announced. Here’s everything you need to know about them.
| Knicks preseason games |
|---|
| Timberwolves vs. Knicks Madison Square Garden Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. |
| Wizards vs. Knicks Madison Square Garden Monday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. |
Aside from the Knicks/Cavs, four other games will take place on Dec. 25.
Should you want to attend, we’ve listed information about each matchup including venues and links to buy tickets.
| NBA Christmas games |
|---|
| San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK |
| Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA |
| Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco, CA |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets at the Ball Arena in Denver, CO |
Want to catch a show at the Big Apple’s ephemeral entertainment epicenter?
Here are just five of the biggest acts headed to the Garden these next few months.
• Billy Idol (Aug. 20)
• The Who (Aug. 30)
• Adam Sandler (Sept. 15)
• Eric Clapton (Sept. 19)
• Giveon (Nov. 6)
Who else is out and about? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on the road in 2025 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change